This afternoon in Year 2 we started our science investigation – How Do Germs Spread? This is a companion project of our Movers and Shakers topic. We linked our previous learning of Joseph Lister to today’s learning (he discovered that washing hands and sterilising surgical equipment prevented the spread of germs in hospitals).

First, we discussed what germs are. Can we see them? Where are they? How do they spread? What are germ hotspots? The children listened carefully to their friend’s thoughts and we had a brilliant class discussion. We also watched a video together that explained how we can keep ourselves safe from germs that make us poorly – by building our immune system and washing our hands.

To help the children to visualise the germs, one child on each table covered their hands in glitter. We pretended that the glitter was germs. The children then had five minutes to complete an activity together such as a game, puzzle, or colouring. At the end of their activity, they looked at their hands, the table, their clothes, and the things they were sharing such as pens and puzzle pieces. There was glitter everywhere! We discussed how germs spread in this way.

The children then washed their hands and came back to their tables. We discovered that even though they washed their hands well with soap, we could still see the germs (glitter) on the tables and things we touched.

We wrote a prediction at the beginning of the lesson and will record our findings from the investigation on a special sheet during our next science lesson. Well done, Year 2!